Traveller86 wrote:
blueianh wrote:
There is a part of me that thinks this would not be a bad week to blood Binns to give us some extra run and out of left field I could see O'Keeffe as a chance to replace Pitto, swinging TDK into the ruck and letting O'Keeffe do the forward/ruck role. He shows more forward than either of Pitto or TDK and whilst he is no hare he is more mobile than Pitto even without injury concerns. I don't think O'Keeffe is anywhere near fully developed and if JSOS was available I'd be looking at him doing the relief ruck but he isn't so there it is. Lemmey is way further back than O'Keeffe and I don't see any other options if we have stamped Young's papers as a forward, which I think we should have.
I would be very very hesitant to bring a debutant in for this game.
Honestly, Ed Curnow would be a better addition with his experience - don't underestimate these pricks, this is a high stakes game.
Sad to say but I think Ed is cooked. Only role for him is to run with a slower opposition mid - he still covers the miles but his ability to get to the contest in time is not as good as it was and most opponents will burn him on the burst. I would have liked to have seen Binns given a shot against the Weagles with their depleted and young lineup, to then decide if he was ready for more substantial opposition, but that chance was forgone. Other options seem to me to be Fisher, O'Brien and Honey all of whom I think have had enough chances, Carroll or Cowan who have little more experience (and in Cowan's case is principally a defender) or Corey Durdin IF he is over his shoulder and noting he's only played a couple of minutes in the 2s last week after an extended absence, and is principally a forward albeit he shows a bit in short stints in the middle. All in all not a Melbourne Cup field of prospective replacements if Cerra is to miss.
As a general I am not too worried about bringing in a debutant in a high stakes game if they are ready to go. This is scarcely Vinnie Cattogio being thrown to the wolves in the GF against the 1973 Tiger ferals. Binns issue is he is very slight but he knows how to get the ball and uses it solidly off either side.